Maps and Statistics
Plague in the United States
Plague was first introduced into the United States in 1900, by rat–infested steamships that had sailed from affected areas, mostly from Asia. Epidemics occurred in port cities. The last urban plague epidemic in the United States occurred in Los Angeles from 1924 through 1925. Plague then spread from urban rats to rural rodent species, and became entrenched in many areas of the western United States. Since that time, plague has occurred as scattered cases in rural areas. Most human cases in the United States occur in two regions:
- Northern New Mexico, northern Arizona, and southern Colorado
- California, southern Oregon, and far western Nevada
Over 80% of United States plague cases have been the bubonic form. In recent decades, an average of seven human plague cases have been reported each year (range: 1–17 cases per year). Plague has occurred in people of all ages (infants up to age 96), though 50% of cases occur in people ages 12–45. It occurs in both men and women, though historically is slightly more common among men, probably because of increased outdoor activities that put them at higher risk.
Since the mid–20th century, plague in the United States has typically occurred in the rural West. The case shown in Illinois was lab-associated.
Table of Reported Cases – U.S. 1970-2020
State of Residence
State of Residence
Reported Cases, 1970-2020
Reported Cases, 1970-2020
Alabama
Alabama
0
0
Alaska
Alaska
0
0
Arizona
Arizona
65
65
Arkansas
Arkansas
0
0
California
California
45
45
Colorado
Colorado
66
66
Connecticut
Connecticut
1
1
Delaware
Delaware
0
0
District of Columbia
District of Columbia
0
0
Florida
Florida
0
0
Georgia
Georgia
1
1
Hawaii
Hawaii
0
0
Idaho
Idaho
4
4
Illinois
Illinois
1
1
Indiana
Indiana
0
0
Iowa
Iowa
0
0
Kansas
Kansas
0
0
Kentucky
Kentucky
0
0
Louisiana
Louisiana
0
0
Maine
Maine
0
0
Maryland
Maryland
1
1
Massachusetts
Massachusetts
0
0
Michigan
Michigan
1
1
Minnesota
Minnesota
0
0
Mississippi
Mississippi
0
0
Missouri
Missouri
0
0
Montana
Montana
1
1
Nebraska
Nebraska
0
0
Nevada
Nevada
7
7
New Hampshire
New Hampshire
0
0
New Jersey
New Jersey
0
0
New Mexico
New Mexico
253
253
New York
New York
0
0
North Carolina
North Carolina
0
0
North Dakota
North Dakota
0
0
Ohio
Ohio
0
0
Oklahoma
Oklahoma
3
3
Oregon
Oregon
19
19
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
0
0
Rhode Island
Rhode Island
0
0
South Carolina
South Carolina
0
0
South Dakota
South Dakota
0
0
Tennessee
Tennessee
0
0
Texas
Texas
9
9
Utah
Utah
15
15
Vermont
Vermont
0
0
Virginia
Virginia
0
0
Washington
Washington
1
1
West Virginia
West Virginia
0
0
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
0
0
Wyoming
Wyoming
3
3
Total
Total
496
496
In recent decades, an average of seven human plague cases have been reported each year (range: 1–17 cases per year).
Year
Year
Total cases
Total cases
Deaths
Deaths
2000
2000
6
6
0
0
2001
2001
2
2
0
0
2002
2002
2
2
0
0
2003
2003
1
1
0
0
2004
2004
3
3
1
1
2005
2005
8
8
0
0
2006
2006
17
17
2
2
2007
2007
7
7
2
2
2008
2008
3
3
0
0
2009
2009
8
8
2
2
2010
2010
2
2
0
0
2011
2011
3
3
0
0
2012
2012
4
4
0
0
2013
2013
4
4
1
1
2014
2014
10
10
0
0
2015
2015
16
16
4
4
2016
2016
4
4
0
0
2017
2017
5
5
0
0
2018
2018
1
1
0
0
2019
2019
1
1
0
0
2020
2020
9
9
2
2
Between 1900 and 2012, 1006 confirmed or probable human plague cases occurred in the United States.
Plague Worldwide
Plague epidemics have occurred in Africa, Asia, and South America but most human cases since the 1990s have occurred in Africa. Almost all of the cases reported in the last 20 years have occurred among people living in small towns and villages or agricultural areas rather than in larger towns and cities.